London protest - EUROPE'S BIGGEST ARMS FAIR IN LONDON

here is a copy of most of an email i received ages ago. i cut out some of the boring/seemingly irrelevent ramblings - for more info go to the web page

i will definately try to go to the saturday protest

INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION

STOP EUROPE'S BIGGEST EVER WEAPONS FAIR!

SHUT DOWN DSEi!
LONDON, UK - 6TH - 12TH SEPTEMBER 2003

One of the world's biggest ever trade fairs for guns, bombs, military planes, small arms, mines and tanks is taking place in London from 9th - 12th September 2003.

An international protest. Thousands of protesters, from all over the world, are invited to travel to the UK to help stop this market of death, and to work towards shutting down the whole murderous industry. This is a chance to target not just the fair itself, but the businesses behind it.

What is DSEi?

Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEi 2003) is an arms fair, sponsored by the British government. It will host arms buyers from all over the world - including countries on Amnesty International's list of human rights abusers, and others who should be!

Also shopping at this huge arms fair will be delegates representing some of the poorest countries in Africa and Asia. Rich Western governments, including America, Britain, France and Italy, and their weapons companies, will try to get them to buy expensive weapons instead of spending money on education, development and medicine.

The last DSEi exhibition took place over 11th September 2001, the day of the attacks on New York and Washington in America. While many businesses around the world closed, the arms fair stayed open. For three more days, countries including America, Israel and 14 different Arab nations continued to shop, side-by-side, for weapons to attack each other with! The arms trade, of which DSEi 2003 is an important part, is an international political business made up of multinational companies which make products that kill and maim for profit. These companies play a leading role in the unjust global economic system which causes poverty and abuse of human rights around the world.

Civilians made up 90 percent of all war casualties during the 1990s. Wars continue today only thanks to the arms trade. Due to globalisation, the arms companies operate above the law, outside of trade agreements, and firmly in favour only of the rich and powerful.

What is being planned?

London, 6th - 12th September 2003.

Most international protest has centred around government institutions. DSEi 2003 is a chance to directly tackle companies and government ministers while they are actually trading in arms. 'Disarm DSEi' is co-ordinating a week long festival of action, protest and resistance against the arms fair and the unjust global system which supports it. We are planning a full year ahead, to make it the biggest ever festival against the arms trade.

Here's what's planned for the DSEi week! Of course there will be other stuff going on during the week and there will be more details of that nearer the time! If you or your group are planning a public action, please let us know! More details on all these vents is coming soon!

Saturday 6th September - Unity march in Central London, for more information email here !
Sunday 7 & Monday 8 - Conference with workshops run by supporting groups and any other activists who want to do workshops; lots of information, discussing, networking and generally getting together - email this address for more information.
Monday 8 September - Multi-faith silent vigil. For further info contact East London Against The Arms Fair, c/o Community Involvement Unit, Durning Hall, Earlham Grove, E7 9AB.
Tuesday 9 September - 'Facing the Arms Traders', a peaceful demonstration at Custom House. Being organised by CAAT . For further info email here.
Wednesday 10 September - 'Day of Direct Action Blockades' (no rules, no guidelines). Being organised by Destroy DSEi . For more info on that email here. A Critical Mass is also being planned for this day. For more info on the CM email here.

i suggest the london spinning protest massive re-arm and meet at 11:30 near temple station....

[ 05. September 2003, 09:22: Message edited by: faery em ]

warp children still smile the same

"when i left the mine i realised that the world was changing. or was it us who were changing?"

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